GETTY/STEVE BRIGHT
British metal had waited years for a band like Bullet For My Valentine. Starting out as Jeff Killed John at the turn of the millennium, the line-up solidified into vocalist Matt Tuck, drummer Michael ‘Moose’ Thomas, guitarist Michael ‘Padge’ Paget and, last to arrive, bassist Jay James in 2003. An eponymous five-track EP showed these four boys from the Valleys had something special, and by the time they signed to Visible Noise/Sony and headed to Chapel Studios with producer Colin Richardson in late 2004 to record their first album, The Poison, they knew they were heading for success.
Raised on Metallica, schooled by Machine Head and inspired by Killswitch Engage – a band they’d take out as support when celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut in 2016 – Bullet For My Valentine bridged traditional and contemporary metal, landing support slots with the likes of Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses, and opening the floodgates for Bring Me The Horizon, Architects and more.